The Moriah Ruse

Coaxing Creativity Out of its Hiding Place

Read BLOGX4 and the article on Inspiration before you read the following, thank you.

There are two steps I take before creativity will thrive, first remove the disruptive influences and secondly construct (build) the appropriate atmosphere (ambiance or tone). Here is an analogy—wine.  I would not, and I hope you wouldn’t either, buy a bottle of expensive wine, rush home, uncork it and guzzle out of the bottle while watching a sporting event. That’s what beer is for, or at least that’s how it is advertised. To enjoy a good wine, on the other hand, I would chill it while the dinner was being prepared—beef tenderloin, slow broiled and medium rare with appropriate trimmings. The table set for two with a white table cloth/matching napkin, silver and china (no paper or plastic), of course, two odorless candles on silver or crystal candle sticks. No gold, it’s too pretentious, and finally, two crystal clear 10 oz wine glasses in which to receive and imbibe the customary 4 ounces of wine.   

Preparing to get creative is a lot like consuming wine (properly), it isn’t a guzzle experience for me it is an event requiring preparation. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying you must follow my prep technique but you’ll need to find yours in order to find your own vortex. Experiment with various techniques and see which works best. If meditating, or a long/short walk, or yoga exercises is your thing then try it and see what happens. I love making predictions, ball games, politics are my favorites and I’m wrong as much as I’m right but I am going to make a prediction now that will be 98% accurate when it comes to coaxing creativity out of you. Here goes. I predict you will not find your muse, neither will I, if I am listening to loud music, playing a video game, hanging out in the local sports bar, drinking too much (even a fine wine), watching TV, arguing with spouse or kids.

More later, right now I’m going for a beer and then watch a little wrestlemania on TV.

Marvin Wiebener, author of The Margin and The Moriah Ruse, is the administrator of this website and he extends an invitation to you to visit his other blogs, just scroll down and click on either of the links. He also encourages comments on any of the articles, either ‘for’ or ‘against’ his position, it doesn’t matter to him. He always responds.

Inspirational Events

Please scroll to the article posted January 6, thank you.

Included in today’s blog will be a rudimentary “how to” tutorial on achieving the event mentioned in my last blog article titled: BLOGX4

Consider this: The tutorial is how I do it. Sometimes what-I-do works and sometimes it doesn’t and for anyone reading this article you should consider that the “how to” may be a waste of your time. I make no claims about its effectiveness and there are no guarantees. As for me and the result of my events, there have been no scientific, philosophical or spiritual revelations or discoveries, no epiphanies of any kind. However, when I apply the “how to” with sufficient commitment I do experience an illuminating grasp of reality that is hard to articulate in a few words, you know what I mean because you’ve had those moments too. The short of it is that my mind seems to clear and my senses heighten which, evidently, allows creativity room to develop.

This is how achieving optimal creativeness happens best for me:

1. I’m easily distracted by man-made sounds; music, TV, radio, babies crying, sirens screaming in the distance, cars driving by the house and phone calls. If I’m going to create I must have quiet. Funny thing, I don’t find dogs barking, wind blowing, birds chirping, coyotes howling a distraction.
2. Visual distraction can be a problem also. I can create in my office because it is decorated in subdued colors and illuminated by soft lighting and indirect sunlight. Take a look around you and count those things that draw your attention away from the creative semi-meditative state you are hoping to achieve, you’ll be surprised at what distractions you may see for the first time.
3. Location is important to me, I suppose there may be those people that can clear their mind while sipping a latte at Starbucks but I’m not one of them. I must have a location free of man-made sounds and man-made distractions, I prefer a creek bank, a bluff overlooking a lake or a canyon, just about anything outdoors with a view of nature.
4. Finding the right location free of distractions can be easier than you think but it does require sacrifice. Here is an example: Every evening I watch a few hours of TV, when the late news is over I shut the TV off and make my way to bed where I usually read an hour or so. One evening, my wife had already retired; I turned the TV off and sat for a while in silence. The contrast between the yakking (the TV, not my wife) and loud commercials and the silence was unusual. Evenings before I would automatically follow my routine which was filled with small preparatory tasks for climbing into bed. But this night I just sat focusing on the quiet.

More on the subject of achieving that state of mind that will open the door to your creative potential—it does mine—in the next posting.  

Marvin Wiebener, author of The Margin and The Moriah Ruse, is the administrator of this website and he extends an invitation to you to visit his other blogs, just scroll down and click on either of the links. He also encourages comments on any of the articles, either ‘for’ or ‘against’ his position, it doesn’t matter to him. He always responds.

BLOGX4

I now am the proud author of four blogs, not one or two but four. I’ve asked myself why and the answer hasn’t yet materialized. Sometimes I just write thinking my words are enlightening, instructive and even edifying. The next day, however, I read what I wrote—REMEMBER: enlightening, instructive, even edifying—and I find only gibberish. We all have something to say, problem is 99 percent of it has already been written and published. Perhaps even more articulately and creative than what we are capable of. Nevertheless, we want our thoughts and opinions out there, after all it is our right to write and publish as long as we don’t plagiarize. Who knows, one day when we are least expecting brilliance it may flood out onto our legal pads or computer screens, so we keep typing. Now here is the kicker; when that event happens (inspiration and/or spark of brilliance) are we quick (intelligent, attuned, observant, clever) enough to recognize it or will it disappear like home equity in today’s housing market?

Glossary

GLOSSARY OF TERMS PERTINENT TO IRAN & THE PERSIAN GULF AREA: Most terms taken from Robert Baer’s book, The Devil We Know. They have been cross-referenced with Merriam-Webster for accuracy.  

Islam – The religious faith of Muslims, based on words and religious system founded by the prophet Muhammad and taught by the Koran, the basic principle of which is absolute submission to a unique and personal god, Allah. Literally including all Muslims, their civilization and their countries where Islam is the dominant religion.

Shi’a – Muslims of the branch of Islam comprising sects believing Ali (son of Abu Talib and young cousin of Prophet Muhammad—warrior, knowledgeable judge, righteous leader of the Muslim nation) and the Imams are the only rightful successors of Muhammad.

Shiite –A Muslim of the Shi’a branch of Islam.

Caliph – pronounced ka-lef. A successor of Muhammad as temporal and spiritual head of Islam. Used as a title similar to priest or pastor.

Sunni – Muslims of the branch of Islam that adheres to the orthodox tradition and acknowledges the first four caliphs as rightful successors of Muhammad. Who are Sunni:

Koran – Also Qur’an. The book composed of sacred writings accepted by Muslims as revelations made to Muhammad by Allah through the angel Gabriel.

Imam – A Muslim leader of the line of Ali held by Shiites to be the divinely appointed, sinless, infallible successors of Muhammad. Any of various rulers that claim descent from Muhammad and exercise spiritual and temporal leadership over a Muslim region.

Ayatollah – A religious leader among Shiite Muslims—used as a title of respect especially for one who is not an Imam.

January 1, 2010 What Decade Is It?

It is January 3, 2010 and I began this New Year blog by explaining that 2010 was the end of the first decade in century 2000 and NOT the beginning of the second decade in the century 2000. I bounced that “fact” off my wife resulting in our first disagreement this New Year. She claims January 1, 2010 is the beginning of a new decade. Not to be outsmarted and to prove my point I Googled the question and found out that none of the online contributors seem to know for sure. There is some reasonable evidence that my wife is right and vice versa. I did not want to settle for a tie so I emailed the experts at the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C. To my delight, and astonishment, the USNO responded almost immediately and offered one of their websites that would answer my question. My thanks to Demetrios Matsakis of the USNO for his help.

When dates were first established man did not use negative numbers such as -1 nor did they use the number zero, now we do and if we found it necessary to toss the Gregorian calendar—and adjust date-keeping—zero and negative numbers would be used and that would change things making 2010 the beginning of a new decade. As time/date keeping stands now 2010 is the last year of the first decade of the third millennium. Verification: http://www.usno.navy.mil:80/USNO/astronomical-applications/astronomical-information-center/millennium

Book List

1. The Devil We Know by Robert Baer. A thorough guide to the present state of affairs between the US and Iran.
2. Denial and Deception by Melissa Mahle. Insider view of CIA from Iran-Contra to 9/11.
3. The Psychology of Terrorism by John Horgan. An excellent social science perspective on what motivates individuals to become terrorists.
4. The Persian Puzzle by Kenneth Pollack. Presents a strong case against invading Iran.
5. The Strangling of Persia by W. Morgan Shuster. A new edition of Shuster’s 1912 work that reveals much about how British and Russian interference shaped Iran’s history.
6. Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat. One woman’s story of survival inside an Iranian Prison.
7. The Iranian Time Bomb by Michael Ledeen. The author presents compelling evidence Iran has collaborated with al-Qaeda and other Sunni terrorist organizations but argues for a better-reasoned American policy toward the Islamic republic.
8. The Prize by Daniel Yergin. Yergin recounts the panoramic history of the world’s most important resource: oil. Read The Prize to get a better understanding of how Iran plays a huge role in world politics.
9. The Moriah Ruse by Marvin Wiebener. A fictional account of  a a clandestine effort to gather accurate information regarding Iran’s nuclear intentions.

Agencies Responsible for Espionage

USA

The CIA is an independent US Government agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior US policymakers.

IRAN

Quds Force or Jersalem Force is a secretive unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) responsible for overseas operations including intelligence gathering, assassinations, coups and training foreign guerrilla forces.

UNITED KINGDOM

MI5 British Security Service. Domestic security and counterintelligence agency. MI6 Bristish Secret Intelligence Service. Foreign intelligence gathering organization. DIS Defence Intelligence Staff.

RUSSIA

Federal Security Service (FSB). Responsible for domestic counterintelligence, counterterrorism, fighting organized crime. SVR-Foreign Intelligence gathering and global espionage. Formally the KGB. Like the US and Britain there are many more agencies tasked with various forms of spy work.

PAKISTAN

IB Intelligence Bureau and ISI the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence

JORDAN

GID General Intelligence Department (Mukhabarat)

ISRAEL

GSS General Security Service. Known better as Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intel and security service. Mossad, foreign intel organization and covert operations.

IRAN’S ATTEMPT TO DESTABILIZE THE MIDDLE-EAST:

I posted this article to another blog on April 21, 2009. The article is still current and the question still relevant:

These facts are irrefutable; the world knows Iran has interfered with Iraq’s new political process by furnishing money, training and weapons to Shi’a extremists. They disrupt the Arab-Israeli peace process by providing support to Hamas as well as other Palestinian terrorist groups; Hezbollah in Lebanon, and they have provided weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan. All of this while continuing to enrich uranium and telling those who’ll listen that they are just using uranium for energy production. Keep in mind Iran is atop a huge reserve of clean burning natural gas that would fuel all their energy needs for eons. There is only one reason to enrich uranium and that is to manufacture the fissile material pure enough for bomb making. We can be assured that if Iran continues down this path the Gulf Cooperation Council made up of countries on the other side of the Persian Gulf, will undoubtedly follow suit, and they have the money. Throw in the fact that Pakistan—that could fall to the Taliban—and India already have the capability.

This writer believes that those of us who ignore the signs or refuse to be enlightened will fall victim to our own misplaced optimism and eventually regret our lack of action.

Our President has offered a peaceful hand to our proven enemies, and everyone hopes this gesture will be the beginning of a new respect that will circumnavigate the globe and eventually lead to peace. Realistically this will not happen, it is culturally impossible when religions pit their assertions of supremacy over the other. With that said, is President Obama playing into the hands of leaders who are not going to play fair, or has he a strategy up his sleeve the general public isn’t yet privy to?

Save the SEALS

War is hell. No truer words were ever spoken. War is a battle to the death or surrender of an apposing army and in the twentieth century we have tried to civilize it so that no more harm than is necessary will come to either side and especially to prisoners of war and non-combatants who generally are societies most fragile. Winning or losing a battle or war is misleading, no one wins and everyone loses something. The USA may have ‘won’ WWII but at what cost did that win come? What did we loose in order to win?

In 1859 Henry Dunant was horrified to see wounded soldiers being abandoned with no offer of aid. Dunant, A Swiss, suggested a voluntary relief society and in 1864 sixteen nations signed the treaty which became known as the Geneva Convention http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions. Since that time nations that signed on tried to stick with their commitment but most have failed miserably. As far as I can tell the USA is the most successful nation at accomplishing this very complex task. I say complex because most countries with whom the US has battled with over the last fifty years do not adhere to international rules of engagement making the playing field and its referees very unfair. This unfairness brings me to the point of this article. Once again our own government has taken upon itself to make sure we spotlight our undying adherence to articles of the GC. As a result three Navy SEALS will stand trial for actions committed during the capture of Ahmed Hashim Amed http://www.nowpublic.com/world/navy-seals-face-assault-charges-after-capturing-terrorist .  I do not believe our government is pursuing charges, or even considering them, because they believe in the rule of law and that it is our moral obligation to follow GC protocols. Instead, I believe, the decision has everything to do with covering-their-own-ass. Those government officials—whoever they are—in actuality fear falling prey to left-wing prying eyes, those common among legislators and liberal watchdog groups. The real casualties in this mess will be the patriots not the perpetrator. The Navy SEALS will suffer a wound to their careers and reputation more devastating than a lost limb, and no Purple Heart for the injury.

Iran’s Theocratic Leadership

The recent violence in Iran has exposed the political fault lines in that society—especially the growing rift between hard-line conservatives and their reformist opponents. The leadership of the pro-Ahmadinejad faction of the Iranian government, which is dominated by conservative clerics, is responsible for many of the violent reprisals that have made headlines worldwide.

We at United Against Nuclear Iran have compiled a list of the fifteen most influential political, military, and religious leaders of the pro-Ahmadinejad faction within Iranian society.  It is the involvement and support of these leaders that allowed the leadership of Iran to pursue its illegal nuclear weapons program.

1.      Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – Supreme Leader

The flamboyant and fiery-tongued Ahmadinejad may get more press, but Khamenei, who effectively signs off on all major governmental decisions, is the real religious and political authority in Iran. The ayatollah was the central figure in the post-revolutionary resurrection of the Iranian nuclear program after the controversial venture was shuttered during the 1980s. More pragmatic than his radical rhetoric might suggest, the cleric has walked the political tightropes with considerable success for much of his career. He won the presidential election of 1981 in a landslide and has effectively ruled the country from behind the scenes ever since, only emerging in cases of dire emergency—like the massive protests that gripped much of Tehran after the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—to give his opinion on matters of consequence.

2.      Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – President

Known for his provocative and bellicose rhetoric, Iran’s President rose to prominence during the 2005 election, which saw him leverage his record as the mayor of Tehran in order to build a heterogeneous power base of religious conservatives and the urban poor. Ahmadinejad has emerged as a fierce advocate for what he dubs Iran’s “non-negotiable” right to the full nuclear cycle, even in the face of fierce international criticism and scrutiny. After supposedly “winning” the 2009 presidential contest, Ahmadinejad is due to be sworn in for his second term in August of this year.

3.      Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi – Senior Adviser to the President

Closely linked to the Iran’s intelligence services, the Revolutionary Guard, and the flamboyant President, Hashemi serves as Ahmadinejad’s right-hand man and personal envoy. Hashemi headed Ahmadinejad’s 2009 re-election campaign and remains a constant presence in the Iranian government. He has been described as an “Iranian Karl Rove.”

4.      Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi – Spiritual Advisor to the President

A radical cleric from Qom, one of the centers of Islam in Iran, Yazdi’s religious views have been described as “fanatical” and “extremely hostile to the West.” He was once considered a potential successor to Khamenei for the top post in the country. Yazdi has advocated suicide bombing attacks against Israel, has been linked to both the Revolutionary Guard and the notorious Basij paramilitary force, and has publicly supported a blatantly military nuclear program. He has also denounced the current structure of government in Iran as flawed, insisting that a truly Islamic regime would not need to have any elections whatsoever.

5.      Ahmad Janatti – Chairman of the Council of Guardians

The conservative cleric sits at the head of the Council of Guardians, the body entrusted with reviewing legislation that passes through Iran’s Parliament and ensuring that the legal environment is in accordance with Sharia, the Islamic code of laws. He has been heavily criticized both at home and abroad for his strict interpretation of Islam and his unwillingness to permit reformist candidates to run for office. During the aftermath of the disputed presidential election in June, the Guardian Council (under his leadership) rejected the recount petitions of the Mousavi campaign.

6.      General Mohammed Ali Jafari – Commander of the Revolutionary Guards

As the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Jafari is a close associate of the governing conservative coalition. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, Jafari has made several public announcements regarding the importance of unconventional warfare and has been linked to the Iraqi insurgency. He has also won credit from the nationalist camp for his declaration that the United States or Israel would be confronted with asymmetrical resistance of the same type that has characterized the conflict in Iraq.

7.      Saeed Jalili – Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, top negotiator on nuclear program

The top negotiator and public face of Iran’s nuclear program, Jalili is an academic by training and was elevated to his current post by the Ahmadinejad administration. As the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, he reports directly to Khamenei and coordinates administrative issues related to the defense of the Islamic Republic. Jalili has publically demanded nuclear energy for Iran, but he denies the negative consequences that completing the nuclear fuel cycle would have within the Middle East.

8.      Gholam-Hossein Elham – Minister of Justice, official government spokesman

A close ally of Ahmadinejad, Elham has publically denied the existence of the Holocaust, claiming that European powers used it as an excuse to create the state of Israel. He is also the chairman of the Council for Spreading Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Thoughts, an official organ of government created to “define and guard over the thought and works of the president.”

9.      Seyyed Javad Shahrestani – Envoy of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani

Much has been made of Iran’s attempts to influence events in neighboring Iraq through its support of Shi’ite political parties, but the religious currents flow across the border in both directions. Shahrestani, as the leading representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has disseminated a number of the cleric’s fatwas, including a strict prohibition on homosexuality, which is enforced through brutal executions and torture.

10.  Qassem Suleimani – IRGC Qods (officially recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States government)

The commander of the Qods Force, a unit of the Revolutionary Guard charged with arming and aiding foreign Islamist insurgencies, Suleimani is listed as a terrorist by the the United States government and is barred from entering the country. His organization is responsible for the construction of the shaped-charged improvised explosive devices that have killed hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq. He reports directly to the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

11.  Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar – Defense Minister of Iran

A veteran of the Revolutionary Guard, he has championed close links with Iranian allies like Syria, even claiming that “we consider the capacity of the Syrian defensive forces as our own.” His background as an engineer has helped him to make significant strides in the Iranian military’s modernization campaign, which has included the pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles that could one day carry a miniaturized nuclear warhead.

12.  Ezzatollah Zarghami – Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting

Iran’s government keeps its state-owned media monopoly on a short leash, enforcing strict censorship standards and mandating that news agencies adhere to its strict interpretation of events. As the head of the only legally recognized broadcast media organization in the country, Zarghami’s decisions affect the ability of the Iranian people to receive unbiased news. His appointment to the post reflects the conservative ruling clique’s confidence in his ability to keep the media scene tranquil. And to date, he has fulfilled their expectations. Despite widespread unrest and violence in recent weeks, Iranian state television has refused to report on the political turmoil and has even suggested that the shooting of Neda Agah-Soltan was staged in order to attract sympathy from the West.

13.  Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi – Head of the Judicial System

A conservative cleric and Khamenei appointee who led a pro-Shi’ite political party in neighboring Iraq, Shahroudi earned much credit with pro-Western groups and Iranian reformers when he instituted a moratorium on the practice of stoning in 2002. But since then, Shahroudi’s tenure as head of the Iranian judicial system has been marked by much controversy. His latest project, a bill that would de-criminalize a variety of minor crimes, has been opposed by conservative elements within the regime, but is scheduled to take effect later this year. Despite these minor reforms, Shahroudi is firmly ensconced in the ruling clique of conservative clerics and religious populists that have dominated Iranian politics for decades.

14.  Saeed Mortazavi – Prosecutor-General of Tehran